TRM tried to get away without mentioning the wedding but SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed manages everything around here and is a dedicated royalist) would not allow it. Somehow, She claimed, we had to include it…
So we were delighted someone finally spied our disguised special wedding edition and recognised TRM as the only blog in the world to anticipate they would be whisked away in an electric car. Obviously SWMBO would not allow us to post full details before the big event, so instead the TRM Daily Report was based entirely on NZ’s best known electric car – Elsie. Don’t believe us? Click on TRM Report last Friday 18 May. While the rest of the world were speculating about her wedding gown, TRM’s fishy inmates were more interested in their electric getaway car? SWMBO’s next car? Perhaps that is why they called it an “E” type? Now SWMBO might realise what angler inmates were more interested in.
Harry and Meghan’s Jaguar E-Type EV
See how Jaguar Classic made Harry and Meghan’s wedding carRoyal wedding car is a seamless blend of classic appeal and cutting-edge EV technology.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding car was literally something old, something, something borrowed and something blue.
The royal couple drove away in a Jaguar E-Type Zero, a classic 1968 E-Type roadster that has been converted to run on cutting-edge electric power.
The car is owned by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Classic Works (which is why it was borrowed) and… well, you can see it’s blue.
Jaguar E-Type Zero was created by the marque’s Classic Works division: classic motoring with pure-electric power.
The one-of-a-kind E-Type was first seen in September last year at the JLR Tech Fest at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London.
The Zero is intended to be both an illustration of what Classic Works is capable of, and a tangible link between the classic Jaguar brand and its new-generation EVs – like the i-Pace, which was displayed alongside the Zero at Tech Fest.
Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex head for the E-Type at Windsor Castle, on their way to Frogmore House.
Jaguar claims the Zero drives like an E-Type (you’d have to ask Harry about that), but offers “future proofed” classic car ownership.
Zero to 100kmh takes 5.5sec, about one second quicker than a conventional Series 1 E-Type.
It could have been much faster of course, but JLR says performance was deliberately limited to preserve the classic-motoring experience.
Classic interior stays, but the instrument panel and centre console have digital screens.
The base for the Zero is a restored “Series 1.5” Roadster. It’s totally original in specification, apart from its state-of-the-art powertrain and modified instrumentation and facia – although these are also inspired by the original E-type. LED headlights are also used to achieve energy efficiency. Again, they adopt the styling themes of the original Series 1 E-type.
An electric powertrain developing 220kW was specially designed for the Zero. Its lithium-ion battery pack has the same dimensions, and similar weight, to the XK six-cylinder engine used in the original E-type.
The electric powertrain is also placed in precisely the same location as the XK engine.
Using an electric powertrain with similar weight and dimensions to the outgoing petrol engine and transmission means the car’s structure, including suspension and brakes, has not changed, simplifying the conversion and homologation. Front-rear weight distribution is unchanged.
The XK six-cylinder engine was made from 1949 until 1992, and was fitted to nearly all iconic Jaguar models of that period, including the E-type, XK120, Mk2 and XJ6. The new electric powertrain could be used in any of these vehicles.
The E-type Zero has a “real world” range of 270km, helped by the low weight and good aerodynamics. It uses a 40kWh battery, which can be recharged from home overnight (typically in six to seven hours, depending on power source).
– Stuff